Simple Movements

Chapter 15

-Convenient-

"You will understand..."

The gargantuan black inner walls were always looming over him, the entirety of the capital island. They reached so far into the skies the birds made clear to stay away from them. Riku had gotten so used to seeing them every day that it did little to bother him. It was something he glanced at then looked away, carrying on with his ordinary life. Yet the sight of the massive trees around him sparked a new sensation, something in the realm of fascination and fear. It was something so completely new to him Riku was having a difficult time processing the entirety of it. This land of trees was The New World.

"My home country," Pocahontas couldn't stop repeating herself, "I can't believe it…"

The former princess stood before them, at the edge of the small clearing and taking in the reality. She had tears forming in the corners of her eyes, a nostalgic smile spreading across her lips. Pocahontas was Riku's best friend, yet she rarely talked about her origins as part of a once royal family. Then again, he always thought she was simply too young to remember much. A five year old's memory couldn't always be counted on to recall clear details. But the expression that brought such a breath of elation into his friend made Riku realize how wrong he was. This was a side to Pocahontas that Riku had not seen yet.

"How did this happen?"

He found himself uttering the question, but he already had an idea as to why. Riku had used his second wish to release them from The Council's hold, but didn't indicate as to how. Only seconds before he activated the wish, Pocahontas was on the verge of doing the same in order for them all to escape. Riku came to the conclusion that because of the intensity of Pocahontas' desire to help them it somehow influenced Riku's wishing flow. Her emotions guided them on a pathway to her home country, The New World.

"We're thousands of miles away from Destiny Islands now," Pocahontas said touching the ground with an outstretched hand, "but something tells me we're not completely safe."

The Council was powerful, and they would be delusional to think that their reach wouldn't eventually catch up to them. Riku knew this firsthand after his visit with the Scripture Readers back at school. They didn't know the nature of a wish, as that was an issue of privacy, but if there was anything unusual about it then they would take action. It all came down to time, and how much they had was anybody's guess.

"Let's get moving, maybe we can find a town," came Dr. Sephiroth with a hand on Aerith's shoulder. "Pocahontas, your family ruled this country and even if your powers were renounced, there must be people that remained faithful. If we can just find someone to listen to what is happening, then perhaps we can get somewhere."

"You're right Dr. Sephiroth, we need to start somewhere," she said looking beyond the first ring of trees, "and we're in luck. I remember this clearing we're standing in. I used to play here with kids from town, the capital."

With Pocahontas leading the way, the small group began walking through the forest. The high tree line occasionally allowed just the smallest glimpses of the skies, yet the looming shadows and darkened environment never made them feel threatened. There was a tranquility in this natural landscape, something that lay on the complete opposite of the Destiny Island capital. They climbed slopes of mossy hills, walked through thick foliage smelling of deep earthiness. To Riku's surprise his parents didn't appear to have any difficulty traversing the uneven terrain. If anything, they seemed to be better at it than Riku. Dr. Aerith caught Riku's glances a few times, smiling at him.

"Remember Riku, your father and I traveled to different parts of the world for our research. This is nothing compared to some of the most extreme places we've walked through."

She removed her white doctor's coat and handed it to Dr. Sephiroth, the spectacled man folding it over his shoulder as they came over another small hill. "To be honest Riku, this isn't our first time here."

Pocahontas slowed their stride and looked to the doctors. "You were here before? Don't tell me…"

Dr. Sephiroth nodded motioning them to stop as they took a break in another small clearing. He sat down with his legs outstretched, a hand running through the length of his silver hair. "Your country went through a devastating crisis dealing with a particularly strong form of the smallpox virus. Many people died, and so many families were left broken. Aerith and I were part of an international team that came to help."

Pocahontas sat alongside Riku, a hand clutching the shell necklace around her neck. Her eyes quivered for a moment, her lips tightening. "My mother…she died from it."

"Pocahontas…" Riku quietly expressed. She swiveled a finger on the ground, twirling it around the lengths of the blades of grass. "I don't have any memories of her. I mean, it's not surprising since I was only a year old when she died. But I feel her, always have."

"She lives as a part of you," Dr. Aerith said with a warm expression, "I'm sure she loved you very much."

She brought a leg up against her chest, resting her chin on it. "My father would tell me stories growing up, it was always something I loved hearing." Her eyes gained a sudden look of fear. "My father…"

Riku couldn't help but feel a slight guilt bubbling in his stomach. His parents had escaped with him, yet they hadn't given a single thought to the wellbeing of Pocahontas' father. If Dr. Sephiroth and Dr. Aerith had been taken in by The Council, it was very likely he must have been as well. But if that had been the case, Jaq and Gus, the two tiny mice Godmother had summoned, would have told him he was also being held. They would have tried by whatever means to save him.

"He must have gotten away before The Council found him."

Dr. Aerith voiced what was tinkering in Riku's head. She placed a hand on her husband's, the tall man nudging her forehead with his nose. Pocahontas found comfort in her reassuring words and nodded, knowing her father more than anyone else. He was very strict and unwavering, something that she often clashed with as he was always set in his ways. But she found that whatever arguments or heated debates they had meant he loved her. If she got scolded for Meeko or Flit breaking something in the kitchen or ransacking the house as they fought, it was because she was responsible for them and not because she herself had done something wrong. Pocahontas breathed in deeply, never letting go of the shell necklace she wore. "I know we're in a tight spot right now, but can I ask something of all of you?"

The Crescent-Gainsborough family all nodded at her request. She regained her standing position and dusted away at her jeans. Pocahontas looked in a different direction from where they were previously traveling in. "I'd like to visit my mother's grave."

She was going on by complete instinct and what little she remembered from before they left The New World. They needed to travel up the length of a crystal clear river, twisting in a multitude of directions and eventually coming to a fork. The group traveled alongside the bustling river, the occasional otter splashing through the surface of the water and curiously watching the travelers. The skies began to peek at them more often with the tree line diminishing the further they walked. Warm oranges and the lengthening of the shadows at their feet was their clue that night would soon be meeting them. It was when reds stained the clouds that the group stopped. Pocahontas wiped the sweat from her forehead, taking in the scene before her.

The river expanded outwards, creating almost a circular lagoon that continued to trickle forward. But for all they knew the river could have just ended at the presence of a massive, ancient willow tree. Thousands of cascading branches loomed over, barely touching the water's surface as the sweet scented breeze carried multicolored leaves on billowing trails. Riku and his parents stood behind the former princess, their eyes admiring the beauty of lily pads and soft pink flowers dotting the slow traveling waters.

"This is magnificent," Dr. Aerith breathlessly let out.

"This is a sacred place to the royal family and has been for generations. My mother was buried under the branches off to the side, always protected and watched over by Grandmother Willow."

"Grandmother Willow?" Riku asked

"The name of tree you see. After thousands of years of life, she gained sentient life. Our ancestors would travel the length of this river to speak with her and ask for guidance on all sorts of matters. She's a goddess to the people of The New World. My father told me this necklace, my mother's necklace, was blessed by Grandmother Willow before he gave it to her."

Riku thought back to the moments where they witnessed magic being performed by Godmother and the Wish Enforcer, the way she twisted her wand around and miraculous things would happen. It was something he had never seen before and by Pocahontas' expression he thought the same of her. But it struck him as odd for Pocahontas and her people to believe in something that for all he knew was magical too. Perhaps it boiled down to her being so young when they left The New World and such a thing escaped her. Riku tried not to give it anymore thought and instead took a step forward. "Do you want us to wait here?"

"No, I'd like it if you came with me. I'm a little nervous."

With the stars twinkling into life, early night arrived. With his parents taking a seat and deciding to rest, Pocahontas led Riku by the hand the remainder of the way, eventually coming to the massive curtain of willow branches. They made a momentary gap and walked through, finding themselves beneath the canopy. Pocahontas sighed, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Riku glanced around, finding a large twisting of tree roots that led over the water to an evenly leveled stump. He could hear rustling and birds chirping, the breeze that passed above them shaking the leaves and creating a calming symphony.

"If only Sora could see and feel this…"

He felt Pocahontas gently tugging on his hand, bringing his thoughts back. She gave him a look asking if he was alright to which he shook his mane of silver hair. "It's nothing."

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?"

It was useless trying to hide anything from her. "Despite everything that's going on, I can't help it. I mean, when you think about it…"

The raven haired princess pressed herself against his shoulder, not wanting to finish his sentence for him. If she said it, they would be expressing something they didn't want to admit. Instead, she simply waited for him. Riku ran a tongue over his slightly chapped lips. "I wanted to help him…and look where we've ended up."

That was the reality of the entire situation. No matter which way they looked at it, Sora was the root of everything. But Riku had no desire to say it was Sora's fault for it wasn't entirely on his shoulders. Nobody told him to walk into the alley of that club. Nobody told him he needed to help Sora after he had collapsed. And absolutely nobody had asked him to use one of his precious wishes to wake him from a sleep he would never return from. The actions he took and the consequences that followed after couldn't be blamed on Sora alone. If Pocahontas and his parents were suffering, it was because of him and him alone. Riku crumpled up the thought in his mind and tossed it as far as he could, imagining it hit the still surface of the water.

"Ripples are an interesting thing."

The words echoed around them. Riku looked around, trying to find the owner of the disembodied voice. Pocahontas giggled seeing the confused look on his face and pointed towards the stump sitting in the water. "Let's go over there."

The two friends maneuvered carefully over the makeshift bridge of tree roots above the water and climbed up onto the surface of the stump. Pocahontas shifted down and sat with her legs bent back beneath her body. Riku followed her movements and when finally comfortable, glanced at Pocahontas.

"You heard them too, right?"

She closed her eyes, nodding. "Grandmother Willow, will you speak with us?"

The ancient tree before them began to shift, the wood morphing into the lines of an old woman's face. Hollow, yet wise and kind eyes met the pair along with a genuine wrinkled smile. Riku had stopped breathing for a moment. Raspy chuckles escaped the willow tree, the branches shaking softly and rustling against one another. Grandmother Willow, goddess to the people of The New World extended a branch until it rested beneath Pocahontas' chin.

"My dear child, it's been many years since I've seen you."

Tears welled up in the princess' eyes, her face snuggling against the leaves caressing her. "It has been, Grandmother Willow."

"And you, young man, bearing hair the color of ancient moonlight. For you to be escorting my darling Pocahontas, I pray tell you are…"

Riku's cheeks grew rosy pink, a laugh escaping him. He wasn't sure if it was due to the implication Grandmother Willow was getting at, or the simple fact he was talking to a tree. Again, if he was comfortable and accepting of talking mice, a tree wasn't any different. "No, nothing like that, my name is Riku. Pocahontas and I have been friends since we were children."

The wrinkled face grinned rather slyly. "I see. An honest shame really. I would have thought by now you'd have yourself a suitor, Pocahontas."

It was her turn to turn a darker shade of red as she wiped away what were the beginnings of tears from her eyes. "Grandmother Willow! You sound just like my father. I would have thought you were on my side."

The ancient tree laughed. The branches and vines shook even more furiously. She wiped at her wooden eyes. "My dear, you forget how old I am. When I look at you now, it's like looking at your mother. A mirror image, although your smile is a tad bit warmer. I can't help but think back to when I had the pleasure of seeing your parents together."

Pocahontas' expression changed, her gaze lingering on the tips of her fingers. "I don't remember anything about my mother…only the stories he told me about her. We came here because I wanted to pay a visit to her grave."

Grandmother Willow reached out and gently touched the shell necklace once belonging to the late queen. She parted a long canopy of branches off to her side, revealing a mound with a beautifully made stone tablet adorning the grave. It was here that Pocahontas finally allowed herself to cry.

"It's okay…" Riku whispered rubbing the length of her back gingerly, "it's okay…"

The looming tree looked on with sadness in her lines, a soft crackling of the bark resonating in the now silent atmosphere.

"While I am more than happy to see you my dear, I grasp that something is wrong." She turned her attention to Riku. "I can sense the residual flow of a wish. Is that how you came to be here?"

Riku didn't know where to begin. "It's a long story, but the short version is that we escaped from The Council. We were being held by them."

At this revelation, Grandmother Willow's warm smile, turned somber, no, cold. "The Council…a name I am not fond to even say."

By all means, Grandmother Willow was a wise, kind, and ancient being that had nothing but love and a desire to share her knowledge with the people that highly regarded her. Yet to get an inkling of distrust, almost hate from such an entity spoke volumes of The Council's nature. Riku gulped hard, unsettled by her reaction.

"Haven't they done enough?"

The pair of friends looked up together, taken back by her words. Pocahontas blinked a few times. "Grandmother Willow?"

She drew a long breath, once again caressing Pocahontas' face with a leafy vine. "My dear…I wish this was something I didn't have to tell you, but you are a beautiful, grown woman now. It would be a dishonor to you and your mother if you didn't know the truth."

Her heartbeat escalated, pounding viciously against her chest. Pocahontas took a hold of Riku's hand, the silver haired man squeezing it with a comforting touch. Riku would be lying if his own heart rate hadn't just jumped to unknown heights. Grandmother Willow touched the surface of the water with a vine, creating a series of ripples that undulated outwards.

"Ripples are an interesting thing. They start so small, but look how they grow. The thing is, someone has to start them. My dear, what was the reason your father left his country with you all those years ago?"

"We were one of the last few kingdoms. Society didn't think they were necessary anymore. So daddy renounced his title when I was 5 and we left for Destiny Islands."

Grandmother Willow continued to create ripples in the water at different points on the surface. "You are only partially correct, Pocahontas."

She gulped the lump now growing in her throat. "What do you mean?"

"It wasn't that society thought kingdoms were no longer needed…it was, in fact, The Council."

Riku could feel her hand tensing in his, his attention never wavering from the wrinkled face. She continued, finding their loss of words as a motion to go on. "The Kingdom of The New World, the country ruled by your family, was receiving multiple requests from The Council to renounce their power. Before you were even born, it was on a constant basis. But your father and mother refused every single time. They were loved by everyone, and the citizens supported their decisions. After your birth, The Council sent one last request. And again, your parents refused."

The wooden features in Grandmother Willow's face seemed to harden. "Not long after refusing their last request, the epidemic hit. The virus spread and killed thousands, your lovely mother included. With the help of doctors from around the world they were able to contain it, and finally overcome the smallpox crisis. But afterwards, people began to blame the royal family. They felt it was a sign of punishment for refusing The Council. With more and more people coming to that conclusion over the next few years, it became dangerous for your wellbeing. The citizens of this country, your kingdom, cast him out. With his crown taken away, the Kingdom of The New World died with it."

Pocahontas soaked everything in, her features hidden by her dark hair. "Daddy always made it seem like he left of his own accord, that even though society didn't see royalty as necessary, he was the one that made the decision to renounce his title. I…I never knew it was the people of The New World that threw us away. How could I not have known that?"

"Because your father wished for that fact to remain unknown. He used his wish to prevent that truth from being found out. With such a crisis, the world was bound to have media in all forms covering every detail of what was going on in The New World. Your father wanted to make sure that no matter what place you made your new home, nobody would ever know as to why. As far as the world is concerned, your father simply renounced his title. The people here are aware of the truth, but can't speak of it. His wish carried that sort of power."

Riku had sat listening silently, offering Pocahontas his hand in hers to bring whatever support he could offer her. He sat with his head hanging slightly over his legs, the entirety of his silver hair enveloped around him. Riku looked upwards, finding an opening in his silvery drape and found Grandmother Willow.

"It's too convenient," his words were icy and voice had a slight trembling to it, "isn't it too convenient that right after your family refused The Council's request, the epidemic hit?"

The ancient tree acknowledged Riku, wrapping a vine around his hair and pulling it back, allowing his pale, teary eyed features to face hers. "Ripples are an interesting thing. They start so small, but look how they grow. The thing is, someone has to start them. The epidemic that killed thousands, that killed Pocahontas' mother, it was that group's fault. It was The Council, upon the orders of the current leader Rinoa that introduced the smallpox virus."

His teeth were grinding together, fingers digging into his palm. Pocahontas veered her eyes at their embracing hands to see how white his skin was. She gripped her shell necklace, asking for the comfort that it always brought, but even that was unable to keep her from shaking.

"They're murderers…"

She was sobbing, the tears putting the rivers of water around them to shame. Grandmother Willow surrounded them in branches and vines, embracing the pair as the grim reality set in. She began to sing softly, her words soothing into their backs.

Que que na-to-ra
You will understand
Listen with your heart, You will understand
Let it break upon you
Like a wave upon the sand
Listen with your heart
You will understand

Sora woke from his sleep, a small mass nestled right against his stomach and breathing softly. He smiled at Lilo, gently caressing the top of her head as she continued to sleep. Her small hands held onto the fabric of his shirt, balled up fiercely and unlikely to let go. It was as if she was trying desperately to keep him close, for she couldn't bear the thought of him going away again.

He looked up to the ceiling of the ship cabin, the sleek vermillion material glimmering faintly as he stared. The rippling sound of water could be heard faintly from outside, signaling to Sora that they were still traversing the oceans. Sora didn't know what time it was, but the lack of light coming from the portholes on the walls made it clear that daylight wasn't anywhere in sight. With some careful movements, Sora managed to unhook himself from the slumbering girl and got up from the bed. He stretched his arms, let out a yawn and moved towards the stairs that led into the outside. Sora climbed out, finding himself beneath a flowing river of stars. He breathed in the salty air, allowing it to sting his lungs with its brininess. For as far as he could see, there was nothing but endless water.

"Sleep well?"

Luxord's voice interjected itself, the white-blonde man appearing from around the corner of the ship. He was no longer wearing the white robes and was clad in a simple pair of black slacks and a gray t-shirt. His physique was impressive and demanded attention. The lining of his chest and abs came through quite easily against the thin gray material of his shirt. Sora folded his arms against the railing of the sleek looking ship and glanced out.

"I guess so…I feel like that's all I've done lately. But Lilo makes a nice cuddle buddy, so I can't complain this time. How about you? You don't look like you've slept at all."

Luxord reached into his back pocket and brought out a cigarette, immediately lighting it with the tip of his finger. He inhaled deeply and produced a coiling ribbon of smoke. "This ship requires a lot of my focus to keep materialized. I'm actually chanting the Scriptures of Leviathan as we speak."

It was so incredibly fast, but Sora could make out the tiniest of movements on his lips, even as he was talking out loud. "That's quite impressive."

The blonde shrugged, breathing out another layer of smoke. "It's nothing really. The Book of Leviathan is one of the simpler scriptures to learn. Anyone that's worth their weight in salt needs to be able to do it."

Sora grinned, "Kind of amazes me that Lilo was able to learn the Ultima Scriptures in such a short time. I don't think anybody asides from Godmother and perhaps Zack was able to do it so perfectly."

"She's an odd little duck, that's for sure. But she loves you, and that's the more reason she was so intent on mastering it."

They sat in silence for a few moments, finding the dark waters suddenly interesting. Sora touched the soft, glowing orb on his neck.

"Tinker Bell…"

He had been informed by Lilo that not only was the reincarnation spell alive, it was also a girl. And since she told her to quiet down, there weren't any further bouts of excruciating pain or discomfort. But it was also a clear as day fact that with Tinker Bell's increased animation, the reincarnation system was losing power. With that progressing as it should, it allowed Sora to focus his attention on what came next.

"How much longer until we reach The New World?"

Luxord took a final drag of his cigarette and threw it back, the remnants disappearing into thin air. "We're halfway there."

"I can take over for you if you want to get some rest," Sora offered raising a hand, "I'm a little rusty, but I'm sure I can keep it going."

"Naw, I'm okay."

"You sure?"

He chuckled gruffly. "Yeah, go back downstairs. I'll wake you if I need a break. How does that sound?"

With a nod, Sora took in another salty breath of air and descended into the cabin. He looked to the far corner of the space and found the bed where he and Lilo had been sleeping. The little girl was nowhere to be seen.

"Lilo?"

The ship wasn't terribly big, and there were only so many places she could be. Sora walked down the length of a small hallway close to the bathroom. That's when he felt a coldness washing over him. He bolted towards the bathroom and threw the door wide open. His mouth lay agape.

"What the-"

Lilo was standing in front of the mirror, a hand pressed against her reflection and a purple sigil with an intricate design glowing above her head. Her face was strained, and mouth moving a mile a minute. He didn't need to think about it twice, Lilo was chanting voraciously.

"Lilo, what's going on?"

The purple sigil was emitting electricity every so often, the words Lilo was muttering acting as a counter to whatever was having a hold on the young girl. She looked at Sora through the mirror's reflection, her eyes dilated and the pupils ebony black.

"Sora! We-we have to get-"

She was struggling, the speed of her chanting was still unable to break through. Sora ran forward, took a hold of Lilo's shoulders and focused on the purple sigil. "Lilo, I'll help you, which book are you reading from?"

"No, Sora, you have to get away. This-this is a spell sealing a part of my memory. I'm recalling parts of what someone tried to hide!"

Sora felt that coldness washing over him again. "Let me help you first!"

He touched the sigil, felt the two opposing forces and summoned a sudden breeze. His eyes grew hazy and the words began shooting from his mouth.

"Relaying from the Scriptures of Shiva: The armies march onward, facing the barren landscape. Swords are raised, arrows whistle through the skies. The opposing side shields themselves, offer prayers to the spirits and their voices are heard. Icy gales bring a wave of cold death, enveloping the once proud marching armies. Beneath this barren land, a small, yet powerful force fights against those that dare reveal their fangs. For they are but simple beasts, and must know their place. End of Shiva's final Scripture. This in Shiva's godly name I pray."

The purple sigil shattered, silencing the winds and the young girl breaking free of the spell. Lilo didn't allow herself to falter and grabbed a hold of Sora's shoulders, looking him straight in the face.

"It was him! He did it!"

"What are you talking about Lilo? Calm down!"

"No, you don't understand! That night, when we were ambushed in Godmother's house and everyone was taken away, it was because of him! He silenced my memories of what happened. Think about it Sora, how could anyone get the best of Godmother?"

Sora looked beyond Lilo and stared into the mirror's reflection. The icy blue eyes that looked at him twinkled with a sadistic glee. He couldn't move, his mouth was dry and Lilo's words were lost on him. All he could see was the slow curling of Luxord's lips.

"You betrayed us."

-0-